Explore this expedition

Get back to me form
We’ll answer your questions

How would you prefer us to contact you?

By EmailBy Phone

Archeology is not just digging up the past. It is also an attempt to understand the past in a way that helps us better plan
for the future.

If you’re one of the increasing numbers of people who try to choose their food responsibly, you’ve probably heard a lot about sustainable farming. Essentially, this means that farmers grow enough crops to meet demand and make a living without overusing critical natural resources, such as water, soil, and energy.

Yet the techniques that make farming sustainable in the dry plains of Africa won’t work in the rainforests of Costa Rica. Investigate how farmers in the past worked with their specific surroundings in the Canary Islands, a beautiful island chain just off the northwest coast Morocco.

Join this archaeological expedition to Lanzarote, one of the Canary Islands, to find evidence of how the Spanish colonists who occupied the island from the late 1300s to the late 1800s adapted—or failed to adapt, in the case of some crops—their farming techniques to suit their new surroundings.

Take in the island’s striking volcanic landscape and white beaches as you survey for remnants of Spanish farms: terraces (flat areas cut into a hillside for growing crops), irrigation canals, walls, and pottery. As you hike, you’ll map these features so researchers can compare them to historical records to understand how the colonialists tried to farm.

Duration

Lead scientists

Accommodation and food

Why the research is important

Why the research is important

Modern agriculture practices can drive deforestation, pollute water supplies, and sap the soil of nutrients that future crops require.

What happened in the Canary Islands hundreds of years ago could help subsistence farmers around
the world today.

The archaeologists behind this expedition want to find out what makes some agricultural practices successful and others less so. The Spanish colonists who came to Lanzarote, one of the Canary Islands, provide an
excellent case study.

You’ll record the GPS location of archaeological features.

When they arrived on this dry volcanic island, the Spanish started cultivating sugar cane using the same terrace-farming method they used at home in Europe. That crop eventually failed for lack of water, and then they tried switching to wine grapes, and then to cacti (better suited to the arid environment) which host an insect used to make dyes.

They also left many written records behind, which is a boon to archaeologists, who can compare the accounts of what worked and what didn’t to the actual traces of the farms on the ground.

You will help discover and map these traces, so the researchers can determine what specific strategies the Spanish tried and how much success they had. Your work will provide insight into how agriculture can work with the natural features of a place (geology, rainfall, erosion, nutrients in the soil) which could be applied to similar landscapes around the world.

About the research area

Canary Islands, Spain, Europe & Russia

The Canary Islands archipelago, considered part of Spain, sits in the Atlantic Ocean just off the coast of Morocco. These islands, with their beautiful beaches and striking volcanoes, are a popular destination for European tourists. The quiet village of Las Casitas, where you’ll stay, has shops and hotels that cater to visitors. Most people speak Spanish, and some speak French and German (the expedition will be conducted in English).

You’ll explore the island of Lanzarote, the easternmost in the archipelago, by car and on foot. As the closest to Africa it was likely the first of the islands settled by humans, although the Spanish colonists wiped out nearly all traces of the people who had lived there before them. The island has protected status as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve to help preserve its wildlife, which includes one of only two populations worldwide of the threatened Canarian Egyptian vulture. Divers and snorkelers are drawn to the island’s rich marine life.

Canary Islands

Daily life in the field

Itinerary

This is a summary:

Day 1: Arrive at Lanzarote Airport, meet your team

Days 2-10: Daily activity includes:

Hiking archaeological surveys

Mapping archaeological sites

Cataloging artifacts

Day 11: Departure

Spend your days hiking Lanzarote’s striking volcanic terrain. Most of the archaeological features the team is looking for are visible on the surface, so you can spot and map them without digging. Specifically, you will:

Hike to survey archeological sites. Look for remnants of terraces (flat areas cut into a hillside for growing crops), irrigation canals, stone walls, Spanish pottery, and other signs of colonial farming. Explore all kinds of terrain on foot, from gentle slopes to the steep, rocky coastline.

Document archaeological features. When the team encounters these traces of Spanish farmers, you will record the GPS location of the features and artifacts and take photos or make sketches to document them.

Sort artifacts. You’ll likely find scatterings of broken pottery, and perhaps other artifacts, on the surface as you survey archaeological sites. The team will note the location of these finds, then collect them and clean and sort them for later analysis.

This work will give you the chance to see all of Lanzarote’s diverse landscapes, from the stark interior to the dramatic coast. In the evenings, you can discuss what you’ve seen with the researchers and learn more through casual lectures.

The Scientists

MEET THE LEAD SCIENTIST

Christopher

Stevenson

Assistant Professor of Anthropology, School of World Studies, Virginia Commonwealth University

ABOUT Christopher Stevenson

Dr. Stevenson conducts archaeological surveys and explores how soil quality, climate, and other factors shape the agricultural productivity of a place. In addition to his current research in the Canary Islands, he has led an Earthwatch Expedition on Easter Island to investigate prehistoric rock gardening (a technique that helps keep soil from eroding).

Accommodations and Food

Accommodations and Food

Historic Accommodations

Swimming Pool

Stay in a restored colonial estate, La Casa de la Caldera, in the village of Las Casitas in southern Lanzarote. The estate has four apartments, each of which has a kitchen, bathroom, and shared bedrooms. Guests can also enjoy the pleasant gardens and swimming pool.

A cook will prepare your meals, which will consist of typical Spanish and American fare. You’ll have full breakfasts and dinners that generally feature meats, vegetables, and fresh salad. For lunch, you’ll assemble your own sandwiches to picnic on in the field.